It's like being in an abusive relationship.
This horrible customer service experience was beyond anything I've ever experienced.
We called ahead to reserved seating for a large party after a funeral. We EVEN HAD A PRIEST DINING WITH US.
We were over estimated reservation count and this immediately aggravated the entire staff despite the place being empty on a wed at 1 pm. It felt like the ENTIRE staff wanted us gone. They rudely an begrudgingly responded to our requests for extra chairs, a high chair, food, boxes, drinks, and allergy accommodations.
I asked if we could have extra chairs because we were short. Gathering the 4-5 chairs became a full fledged battle involving 4 furious employees. We were still one chair short but too scared to ask for another one so I STOOD UP for about 15 minutes until my cousin was bold enough to go sneak another chair.
During this ordeal, the hostess complained that we should have gotten a function room (her job to have done) Seems like an easy solution and like that should have been done when we told them we had 30 people coming from a funeral.
I asked for a high chair for my infant, thinking this wouldn't be as angrily received because who doesn't like babies right? Well I was wrong. They hate babies here too. I asked another employee we hadn't yet interacted with I was hoping she would be nicer, but she was immediately angered. She shouted "you want a high chair now too!?" Then she grabbed it and stormed off with it before I could answer and stormed around the entire perimeter waving the chair high in the air while I followed, bewildered still unsure if I was getting the high chair. Like a petulant child asked to pick up her toys. Eventually she angrily dropped it and stormed off leaving behind a cloud of green villainous mist. "Thank you" I shouted after her in a failed attempt to appease her.
The waitress rolled her eyes repeatedly while taking our order, wouldn't let us finish ordering before trying to walk away, got irritated with every order we made and just kept shouting HOW MANY PIZZAS!? to the point were some of us got too nervous to finish ordering. A few brave souls ordered steak tips. I have an allergy so had to hold her attention for longer than she wanted as I explained that I needed a gluten free cheese pizza and steak without bread as she interrupted shouting once again "how many pizzas!?" Then started to walk away. We looped like this about 3 times before I finally gave up and accepted that I'd probably be leaving hungry and more sad than when I'd arrived.
As the food started trickling in, the staff came out shouting items and immediately angered if they were not the items we ordered. "PEPPERONI PIZZA!!" , not ours, PEPPERONI PIZZA!! , not ours, *2-3 staff members glare at us* ok fine we will take it. LAMB TIPS, not ours, LAMB TIPS, not ours, gang of staff glares at us again so I jump in, "ok put it here and we will figure out who's it is. Don't worry about it". A peace offering I assumed. Nope. Olive branch rejected and burnt. We were so frightened that we just kept accepting food we didn't order.
The staff came out twice to give me steak with bread on top to which I calmly reminded them that I needed mine without bread. After the second attempt, an employee giving very strong East Boston vibes, rolled his eyes at me and contorted his face as if I was the most ridiculous pompous person he had ever met. Right to my face making eye contact. At this point I'm fed up and my East Boston comes out too, time to fight fire with fire. I quickly respond "what!? You got a problem with that!?" To which he, probably sensing the East Boston in me now, back peddled and tried to play it off. Then he went behind the wall and 2 seconds later came back with a sinister grin on his face stating "this is brand new steak on a new plate" which I knew was bull because 1 - it was too quick and 2- you could see he didn't even go into the kitchen.
My cousin was too scared to ask for water and had to choke down her food without hydration.
They even got annoyed when we asked for to go boxes.
In summary, This was overall the most aggressive, hostile, rude, and flat out unwelcoming customer service experience I have ever had. Despite the amount of business we were bringing in, we were in mourning, we would be giving a large tip, we had a priest, a baby, etc, there was no way to win them over or appease them. The hostess didn't put us in a function room, so the entire staff punished us.
The pizza was still so damn delicious. Even the gluten free one I had was amazing (I'm Sure I got cross contaminated - still Worth it). The moment that sauce cheesy piece of heaven touched my mouth, all their sins were forgiven. It's conflicting to love a places so much when they treat you so badly.
Just be prepared because if you don't have tough skin you're not going to make it. You'll end up standing up while you eat something you didn't order with no drink and sad read more